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Younggil is an 8 dan professional Go player with the Korean Baduk Association. He qualified as a professional in 1997 and won an award for winning 18 consecutive professional matches the following year. After completing compulsory military service, Younggil left Korea in 2008, to teach and promote the game Go overseas. Younggil now lives in Sydney, Australia, and is one of the founders of Go Game Guru. On Friday evenings, Younggil is usually at the Sydney Go Club, where he gives weekly lessons and plays simultaneous games.

A few notes about Fujisawa Hosai & the game. He was the first modern, 9-dan professional under the Oteai system. The following year, Go Seigen was also awarded a 9-dan rank by special recommendation of his Japanese peers. Thus, for the next several years it was just Fujisawa and Go on the block. Every match between them would be billed as a huge event. Nevertheless, at this time Fujisawa Hosai was still known as Fujisawa Kuranosuke. It wouldn’t be until Fujisawa was beaten down in two following jubangos (10-game matches), and subsequently neglected his duties to the Nihon Kiin, that he resigned and changed his name to Hosai out of humiliation. Thus, for all these matches he was known as Fujisawa Kuranosuke.

This game is famous for White’s brilliant & solid play, and the large number of big exchanges and ko fights. Kato Shin attributed Fujisawa’s losing move to 57, calling it dull. As for Go Seigen, he said “This was a game in which White played a truly well polished and solid manner. Every stone he picked up and played was flawless.” As for time limits, even though they were longer than today Go Seigen was a noted fast player, and Fujisawa the complete opposite. In this game Go & Fujisawa’s time usage was recorded as 6 hour 11 minutes & 9 hours 55 minutes respectively.

It’s strange that Go Seigen could make a large enclosure in the lower left corner and turn it into territory without much of a challenge. If I were to do that, the corner would surely be involved in an ugly fight very soon.

This must be one of the best games ever. Such a precise fighting power. Of course complete unnecessary, but Go Seigen at his best against Lee Sedol at his best, who would prevail? In a non-speed game I would give Go Seigen the edge.

Do any young pros/insei today study Go Seigen’s games? The Lee Changho generation certainly did, but I wonder if different materials are in fashion today. I read that Fan Tingyu studied Sakata’s games extensively, so it is certainly conceivable that there are young people studying Go Seigen’s games.

When I was young, I studied Go Seigen’s games quite a lot. His playing was incredible. It was far more creative and flexible than other top players of his period I thought. Inseis today might still study his games, but they’d rather study recent top players’ games.

I am grateful for the great commentary! I am learning so much from you. Dear Mr. An Younggil, can you please suggest us some masters that are study today in Korea (by the new generation of the pros and by the yonguseng)?
Thank you very much!

Michael Redmond 9p said something interesting about the different styles of Lee Sedol and Gu Li. Both are known for fighting and creating spectacular games, but he said Gu tends to play thickly and fight where he has the advantage, whereas Lee is more a master of doing well in disadvantageous fights.